The 3-5-7 styling trick designers use to make their shelves and coffee tables look so good – it's a simple way to create balance and interest

A kitchen with open shelving displaying various decorative objects.

If styling your shelves, mantel and coffee table doesn’t come 100% naturally to you - or even if you could use a helping hand or an easy-to-follow formula - the 3-5-7 styling rule is the expert-approved trick you need to know about.

Also known as the rule of odd numbers, interior designers and stylists alike use it as a guideline for making homes look elevated. Over time, this becomes almost an instinct for pros, like 2:3 rule or the 60-30-10 rule; however, they highly recommend following this rule for anyone unsure about how to decorate or style their own shelves and coffee table.